1) Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to identification devices used in conjunction with mobile terminals and, more particularly, to techniques for updating a work plan using a mobile terminal.
2) Description of Related Art
Automatic identification systems have been developed for various applications, such as service industries, purchasing and distribution logistics, time and attendance, manufacturing, and material flow systems. For example, radiofrequency identification (RFID) tags have been used for identification purposes and gained popularity due to their small size and relatively low cost. As known to those of ordinary skill in the art, information stored on the RFID tag may be read by a RFID tag reader using radiofrequency signals. The RFID tag may be passive (i.e., activated via interrogation) or active (i.e., activated via an independent power source) and be capable of wirelessly communicating with the tag reader.
Moreover, the ability to wirelessly communicate with a RFID tag has prompted the integration of various wireless devices with tag reading capabilities. For instance, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0043201 to Vesikivi et al. discloses the implementation of a personal communication device (e.g., cellular phone) with a RFID tag reader.
One particular application of RFID tags and wireless devices includes the supervision of workers. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/00441141 to Vesikivi et al. discloses a system and method for supervising workers that includes using a worker device to access a storage element (e.g., a RFID tag) associated with a workplace location.
Despite these improvements of integrating wireless devices and identification devices, there is a need for methods to efficiently update a work plan using a mobile terminal. In addition, there is a need for methods to deploy an identification device with a mobile terminal such that the identification device may be readily located and identified in the future.